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Dave Lehnert
01-27-2017, 10:16 PM
My Mother is about to the point where a walk in tub is a need not a want as it had been in the past.
Few years ago a friend called one of the places that advertise on tv and if I remember correct it was like 10K. We dismissed installing one.
Got to looking tonight on line and found this unit at Home Depot.
http://www.homedepot.com/p/American-Standard-Exclusive-Series-48-in-x-28-in-Walk-In-Whirlpool-Tub-with-Quick-Drain-in-White-2848-409-WRW-PC/206004448

For that price I'm considering it again.
Can anyone share their experience with having one installed. What brand, Who installed, Anything I may need to know?
Assuming no walls have to be torn out etc.... What would an install cost? Ball Park ok as I know of all the variables possible.
Just want to get an idea what I am getting into before contacting a salesman.

Clint Baxter
01-27-2017, 10:34 PM
I have installed one while working as a plumber. Have no idea what the boss charged for the unit, but it was a new install in the house as it was constructed. I remember that we ended up having to rip out concrete because of the difference between it and a normal tub. When the underground was laid out prior to pouring the slab, a normal tub was being called for. If I remember correctly, the valves mount to the tub, not in the wall like a typical tub. As such the hot and cold supplies may need to come up through the floor.

One thing about the walk-in type tub that a lot of people may not know about is that the bather is likely to get cold while they're waiting for the tub to drain to the point it's below the door, and the door can be opened so the bather can exit. May need a heat lamp above or some other method to keep an elderly individual from getting chilled while the water drains. And it typically takes a while. Definitely try to keep all the drain lines at a minimum of 2".

Clint

Neil Gaskin
01-27-2017, 10:55 PM
We've installed a handful of walk-in tubs over the last few years. A few things to consider:

The new trend is to call them "fast drain", that only works to a point. The limiting factor is the drain line you're hooking up to which depending on the age of the home is typically a maximum of 2" pvc. Older homes may have 1 1/2" and if you're really unlucky it's old galvanized that is probably 1/2 clogged.

The reason drain size is important is because you are sitting there wet and likely cold as the tub drain downs. You cannot open the door and exit the tub until the water is drained out. For this reason we typically try to sell a heat fan above the bathtub with the bathtub installation.

Supply is the same thing, must supplies are 1/2. If we have easy access from an unfinished basement we will option an upgrade to 3/4 supply and a higher flow rate fill valve. This isn't as important in my opinion as the drain time but you still sit there naked and potentially cold as it fills.

Hot water capacity is another consideration. A 40 gallon water heater can manage in most cases but not always depending on what temp the bather likes the water and how long they will be in there.

The biggest down-side is that you cannot get someone out of the bath quickly without creating one hell of a mess until the tub is empty. So in the event of some sort emergency you're going to unleash lots of water into the house.

So those are the down-sides in my opinion. The upside is that for someone with mobility issues that needs/wants the hydro therapy aspect or simply prefers taking a bath they are the safest game in town because of the ease of getting in and out.

If we were talking to you or your mother about this I would at least discuss replacing the existing bathtub or shower with a walk in or really low threshold shower with a seat and a handheld mounted to a slide bar. That's assuming your mother showers and does not prefer to bathe.

The walk in shower is going to be less expensive, more versatile, and better for re-sale etc.

I cannot speak to the specific bathtub you listed. The price seems reasonable. Most of the tubs we've installed have been between $2500 without the jets etc to $5000 with jets etc. That's just for the tub. Turn-key installations for us run between $7500 on the very tight low easy side to 10-12k.

The tub you linked to looks like it would be used to replace a standard 48" shower, there will also be models to replace a standard 60" bathtub available, but making the 48" models work in a 60" opening is not difficult, just a little more work.

I would not start with a tub-sales person or tub company that you see on TV, doing so will likely result in paying more than you need to. I would recommend finding a decent remodeling company with Aging in Place experience. You might look at www.nahb.org and try finding a contractor that has a CAPS certification. They will be familiar with this type of project and all the associated work required to install the bathtub. Failing that, try calling a few reputable plumbers and ask if they have experience with walk-in tubs and if they can recommend a contractor that they have worked with for the installation. Grab bars around the tub are also important.

Where are you located?

Dave Lehnert
01-28-2017, 12:01 AM
Thanks for all the info so far.
I am located in Cincinnati.
Thinking of contacting Senor Services in our county and see what they recommenced. Never had any contact with them but have heard very good things about them for years.

Sam Murdoch
01-28-2017, 8:55 AM
If we were talking to you or your mother about this I would at least discuss replacing the existing bathtub or shower with a walk in or really low threshold shower with a seat and a handheld mounted to a slide bar. That's assuming your mother showers and does not prefer to bathe.

The walk in shower is going to be less expensive, more versatile, and better for re-sale etc.



The downsides as listed above - to my mind - are overwhelming. These tubs are a great "idea" that is just useless in the real world. The idea of a low curb shower with seats and grab bars or even one into which you can ride a wheel chair is so much more practical. Set the control valve lower than normal and provide a hand held shower spray unit. Whether your mother can bathe without help or needs assistance - the shower is the better choice.

Jim Becker
01-28-2017, 10:59 AM
Like Neil, I'd suggest consideration of a walk-in/roll-in shower setup over one of these vertical tubs for a variety of reasons.

Kev Williams
01-28-2017, 11:44 AM
We considered one for my parents. Had we actually installed one, and this may sound a bit harsh, but it would havet only gotten used maybe 2 or 3 times, simply because my parent's health deteriorated so quickly we soon needed nursing assistance, and a nursing home shortly thereafter. My wife's parents are now in their mid-late 80's and we're facing the same issues again. Fortunately for the family, VA bennies and Medicare are supplying in home nursing care.

The other issues are as noted by others. The fill and drain times are ridiculous. The amount of hot water used, and the weight of the water is also huge.

There are many less costly and much less permanent solutions to cope with this issue. In home nursing care is one option, and it can be a Godsend.

From experience we learned the hard way about elderly bathing, some advice: No glass shower or tub doors...

Von Bickley
01-28-2017, 1:16 PM
Like Neil, I'd suggest consideration of a walk-in/roll-in shower setup over one of these vertical tubs for a variety of reasons.

I agree with Jim and Neil.....

Brian Henderson
01-28-2017, 4:09 PM
My mother got a walk in tub when she bought a new house a couple of years ago, they retrofit her existing tub and apparently it works just fine.

Dave Lehnert
01-28-2017, 9:38 PM
I agree with Jim and Neil.....




Thanks to all who responded.
After doing a ton of reading in the last 24 hrs I think I have to agree with a lot of you about the downsides of a walk in tub.

Neil Gaskin
01-29-2017, 12:03 PM
Dave , The only reason to not discount the walk-in tub is if your mom needs the hydrotherapy for arthritis or other body aches etc. in that case they are the perfect solution. For normal Bathing, not so much. I will say the clients that we've installed them for over the years I've never received negative feedback.

Bruce Wrenn
01-29-2017, 9:14 PM
Good friend, who will be 99 tomorrow, put in a walk in tub 2 years back. Set her back around $5,000. She now says, "Why didn't you talk me out of getting one?" She had signed contract and installation was scheduled for next day before she told me. She sits in tub and uses shower wand, instead of complete bath.